The Daughter of Nature
by Katherine the Mage
Summary: An Alternative Ending to ITROTG. very interesting. basically, what would have happened if Daine had chosen to stay with the gods. I actually wrote this for a class assignment. *scary!*


An Alternative Ending (like, duh!)

Ok, hi everyone!I know I haven't posted anything in _ages, _but I've been busy.I also know that most of the stuff I've posted sucks.Therefore, I'm going to post something that actually belongs in the Tammy section.Without further ado, let me present to you… an alternative ending to In The Realms of the Gods.

Our story begins seconds before Daine makes the critical, yet seemingly obvious decision to remain in the mortal realms with Numair… 

"Our daughter is going home," Sarra told the gods, chin high, "to the mortal realms."

Mithros looked at Daine."Is it so?"

The girl considered.Cloud, Numair, Zek, and Onua would all miss her, but the chance to make up all the time she had lost with Ma, to really get to know her father…If she went back, she would never see Broadfoot again, never again see a sunbird show off its flames.

_And if you stay here, you'll never see Tortall again_, part of her mind reminded her._You'll never see Numair again except in your dreams._

She realized that Mithros and all the other gods were staring at her, waiting.

"Well, Veralidaine?" the sun god asked expectantly.

Shoving away thoughts of Numair, Tortall, and Cloud and embracing ones of Ma and immortality, Daine shook her head."No.I am home.I wish to stay in the Divine Realms with my parents," she said softly.

"No!" Sarra said sharply."Daine, you have everything you could ever want down there!You have a man who loves you, a man who has nearly died for you ten times over!I would miss you, yes, but…"

"Sarra," Weiryn said to his wife, "Though I agree with you, the girl must make her own choices."

"Daine, please don't do this because you promised me.If you went back, I would still be able to visit you."

"Ma, it's not that," Daine said softly."I would regret going back.Tortall is beautiful, but-"

"But nothing!You have a life down there, sweetling!"

"Enough!" Mithros said sharply."I have no time for such arguments!Choose, girl!"

"I have a question before I choose, Daine said, facing the head god."Would I be able to visit the mortal realms at any time, should I choose to become a goddess?"

"Not for a hundred years."

Daine sighed and nodded, understanding.Mithros couldn't just let any new goddess do whatever she pleased.She had to prove herself worthy.

She then uttered the seven words she would regret for a very, very long time."I wish to become a lesser goddess."

"Very well.And what shall you be the goddess _of_, little one?"

Daine thought for a few moments."Can I be an animal goddess, but still keep my human form?"

"Oh, I suppose so."

"Good.I shall be the goddess of all living creatures."She heard one or two of the other immortals standing around chuckle a bit, but Mithros nodded his head, approving.

"And what shall you be called?"

"The Daughter of Nature."

Sarra looked at her daughter in astonishment, but said nothing.Instead, she buried herself into the consoling arms of her husband.

"So mote it be," said the sun god, and all the gods there, including Daine herself, echoed him."Now, we have some more important matters to attend to.You are dismissed."

Daine bowed respectfully and then took her leave, her parents bringing up the rear.

~~~~~~~~~~

Numair lay on the ground, utterly exhausted from his fight with Inar Hadensra.He wondered it Daine was all right.He prayed she hadn't done something stupid like trying to take down Ozorne single-handedly.

He heard hoof-beats coming in his direction, but he didn't really care.He was tired . . . so tired . . . he had to rest . . . 

Suddenly he stared into Onua's worried eyes.His head ached; he must have passed out."You didn't have to kill me, you know," he croaked.

Onua sighed with relief."Thank the Goddess.Tough fight?"

Numair nodded grimly."Where's Daine?"

Onua looked very grave."No one knows what happened to her, Numair.Last time anyone saw her, she was chasing Ozorne.We found his body, but not Daine's."

The mage felt his legs give out under him._Mithros!No! _Luckily, Onua steadied him."Are you going to be able to walk back?You look rather pale."

"I'm fine," he lied.Every movement was agony, but he certainly wasn't going to tell her that.

"Don't give me that crap.You are anything but fine.Horse Lords, you could be dead and you'd still insist that you were fine!"Numair was far too tired to point out that if he were dead he wouldn't be able to insist anything."Get up there, you old stork," the K'mir added, helping him up onto Spot's back.Watching the lanky man mount was a agonizing thing at the best of times, but now he was so tired that he had to literally _boost _him up.He didn't even question the horse's safe return from the encounter with the Skinners.Onua sighed, mounting her own pony, and they rode off, Numair slouching over his mount's neck.

~~~~~~~~~~

Daine watched her mage friend from the safety of the Divine Realms, in her mirror.Her heart ached.She missed Numair so much, and she hadn't even been here for a full day.Already she regretted her choice.Her mother's home wasn't nearly so inviting without him beside her._Numair, forgive me_, she said silently as a single tear flowed unbidden down her cheek._I still love you_.

Sarra came over to stand beside her daughter."Daine…" she said softly."I'm sorry.You missed him already, don't you?"Nature's Daughter nodded.

"_Why _did I leave him?" she asked no one in particular."Why did I abandon him when he needed me most?"

Sarra could say nothing.She only held her daughter close, reassuring."You'll love living in the Divine Realms, dear."

"But what if I don't? I'm certainly not enjoying it now!" Daine cried."I want to go back, Ma.Please, take me back!"

Sarra felt herself start to get upset too and rebuked the part of her that would make Daine even more unhappy."Please try to put a good face on things.I hate seeing you like this."

"I'll try, Ma," Daine said, though she didn't think it would do much good.

"That's my girl."

~~~~~~~~~~

Outside the palace, Numair sat on the grass, watching the moonrise.He remembered how Daine had sat with him here so peacefully, never saying a word because words were not needed.He felt an involuntary tear fall from his cheek, but didn't bother wiping it away.He missed her; oh, how he missed her.He clearly recalled every moment back in the Divine Realms, how he had kissed her. . . .

_Stop it! _he told himself firmly._She's gone and nothing can bring her back; they didn't even find her body._

At first, since there was absolutely no trace of her, he had dared to hope that she was still alive, however unlikely it might be.But now, two weeks later, the battlefield had been cleared and that hope lay dead, just as dead as his love.She was gone from his reach.

_Why? _he asked himself and the gods._Why?What did Daine do?She was only sixteen; most people consider that far too young to die, but apparently the gods think otherwise._

As he sat there and cried, Onua came and squatted beside him, saying not a word.Silently, she handed him her handkerchief.Gratefully, he wiped his eyes."Why, Onua, why?Why did the gods take her away from me?"

She studied him for a few moments.She didn't have to ask who he meant."I don't know, Numair.I wish I did."Numair saw the tears in the K'miri's eyes."She was the best assistant I ever had.But she was far more than that; she was the best friend, the most understanding person, anyone could ever want to know."

With a sigh, the horsemistress pulled herself together and rose."Don't stay out here feeling sorry for yourself too long," she ordered.The mage nodded, and offered her the handkerchief back."Thanks, but I think you're still going to need it."He thanked her, and she went back into the warm peacefulness of the palace.

He considered following her, but rejected the idea almost at once.He didn't belong there now; he would just be intruding on their happiness.He buried his head in his hands.

What should he do?He was utterly alone in this world now.The fact that he had Onua and Alanna and even the king never occurred to him; he was too busy mourning and feeling sorry for himself.

A horrible thought came to his mind.He would kill himself; then he could be with Daine.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of that awful feeling of dread, yet couldn't.What was he, mad?To even consider committing suicide was true, utter madness.Yet the temptation of seeing Daine again, even if it was in the Black God's realm, was too much for him.

Grim with utter determination, he began to pull as much magic to him as he could.When he got to the point that he thought he could take no more, the physical strain making him bare his teeth like a man possessed, he forced himself still onward, till he held more power within him than any man could possibly hold and still live.Still, he forced himself to gather more, more, more!The strain was far, far beyond unbearable.

There was a moment when he no longer felt the strain of the power that he held within him, a second that seemed to last years, in which time stood still and the gods allowed him to see through his pain and his grief. He realized what a stupid thing he had done, but by then it was far too late. _Gods, forgive me!What have I done? _he wondered, as time seemed to stretch out forever.Then he fell to the ground, dead as a doornail before he even landed.

~~~~~~~~~

Alanna was in bed, sleeping.She tossed and turned, dreams of grief for Daine invading her mind.Suddenly, she sat bolt upright, fully awake.She had sensed power like she had never felt before, someone drawing more magic than was humanly possible to them.

Hurriedly, she threw on a robe and ran out of her room.Every mage in the palace, no matter how petty, had felt that shock.Even many of the non-Gifted people were up, wondering about the electric feeling in the air.Carefully, Alanna tried to make her way toward the source of all this madness.

One thing worried her: she didn't see Jon or Numair, the only two people she could honestly believe were doing this._Not a good sign_, she thought worriedly.

She made her way to the head of the curious crowd.There was the king, standing over a black figure lying motionless on the ground. She shoved a few people out of her way and went to stand by him.

She gasped; the figure was barely recognizable as Numair.She hurriedly made the sign against evil.There was no possible doubt that the mage was dead; no one could hold that much power and live to tell about it."What happened, Jon?"The king hesitated, obviously unwilling to tell her something."He killed himself, Alanna, just pulled everything in.He knew what he was doing, I think."

The King's Champion gasped again; she had never dreamed her lanky friend would do such a thing."Why?" she choked, turning away from the body.Death was no stranger to her, yet seeing Numair lying there, without a scratch evident on him and a look of peace on his face, scared her dearly.She felt hot tears of grief roll down her cheek and brushed them away.

"I don't know, Alanna.Probably grief for Daine."

"He really did love her, in spite of everything, didn't he?"

The king nodded."All right, everyone, it's late; go back to sleep, all of you!" he shouted loudly over the speculation of the crowd.Unhappy but obedient, they did so slowly, still gossiping about the meaning of all this.

Jon placed a kiss on his Champion's cheek."You too, Alanna.Something tells me we have a busy day ahead of us."

~~~~~~~~~


End file.
